Israel Elected a Vice-President of U.N.
Associated Press
Date: 06-13-05
By EDITH M. LEDERER, Associated Press Writer
UNITED NATIONS - Israel was elected one of 21 vice-presidents of the next General Assembly session on Monday, in what the Jewish state called a historic move toward its full representation on key U.N. bodies.
The 191-member assembly approved the uncontested slate of vice-presidents after electing veteran Swedish diplomat Jan Eliasson president of the 60th General Assembly session which will start in September with a summit addressing U.N. reform and poverty.
Israeli Ambassador Dan Gillerman called it "a historic moment for Israel" and Secretary-General Kofi Annan welcomed the General Assembly's decision.
The election marks the first time an Israeli will serve as a General Assembly vice-president since the late Abba Eban 53 years ago.
Under U.N. rules, regional groups decide who fills the 10 rotating seats on the Security Council and other key U.N. committee assignments in the General Assembly and other U.N. bodies. Until 2000, Israel was the only U.N. member that was not part of a regional group, because Arab nations have repeatedly blocked its admission to the Asian Group ? where it belongs geographically.
Under pressure from the United States, the regional group of European, North American and other countries invited Israel to become a temporary member ? until the Asian Group approves full membership.
This year, the West European and Others Group, known as WEOG, nominated Israel as its candidate for a vice-presidency of the General Assembly.
Gillerman said in a statement that Israel's election as a vice-president demonstrates the confidence of WEOG members in the country's sincerity in working to advance the cause of peace in the region.
He said Israel's selection "follows a string of similarly important events during the past year, including a seminar to address anti-Semitism, and the special session of the General Assembly to commemorate the 67th anniversary of the liberation of Nazi concentration camps."
As a vice-president, Gillerman will preside over the world body in the absence of the president and help formulate the agenda.
Soon after Annan became secretary-general in January 1997, he raised the issue of Israel's exclusion from a regional group. "He has always advocated full benefits of membership in the United Nations for Israel," said U.N. spokesman Fred Eckhard.
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